North Sea Port is installing a security fence in the Dutch port of Flushing, the organisation, which includes the Belgian port of Ghent, and Flushing and Terneuzen in the Netherlands, announced on Wednesday.
This “smart fence,” located between Westhofhaven and Engelandweg in Flushing, will later be equipped with security cameras, according to the organisation, which explained that the aim is to fight crime, particularly drug trafficking.
North Sea Port manages the eponymous 60-kilometre-long cross-border port area that stretches from Vlissingen in the Netherlands to Ghent.
The barrier is one of the first physical security measures implemented by the Stichting Veilige Zeehavens Zeeland, a foundation that works to make the port safer in collaboration with governments, businesses, and security services.
The new fence demarcates the public space from the port area but does not completely enclose the port.
Surveillance cameras will be added in the future to enhance the security system, while ANPR cameras, which can read and recognise number plates, will be installed on access roads to the port.
